Deconstructing Adhesions - Treating Adhesions in Massage Therapy

A fascia-focused breakdown for massage therapists and bodyworkers

Handling adhesions is not an easy task as a massage therapist. But sometimes taking notes from Dr. Frankenstein and the relationship he had with his monster can offer up a lot of insights. In this episode, Allison explores what it would be like if we could shift our approach, use a little pixie dust, and learn how to love a monster.

Whether you’re dealing with stubborn fascia, post-injury scarring, or chronic holding patterns, treating adhesions in massage therapy requires both skill and perspective. This episode dives into the emotional, physical, and clinical layers of working with adhesions—and why your mindset might matter just as much as your technique.

Why Treating Adhesions in Massage Therapy Is More Complex Than We Think

When I was first learning how to write SOAP notes, adhesions became my catch‑all term for anything I didn’t fully understand. Limited ROM? Adhesions. Compressed tissue? Adhesions. Random pain? Definitely adhesions. Like many new therapists, I lumped every strange or sticky sensation under that umbrella. Years later, I’ve learned that adhesions are far more layered—and far more misunderstood—than most of us were taught.

The Frankenstein Problem: Why Adhesions Get Such a Bad Reputation

Adhesions are kind of like sticky dried fruit—if sticky dried fruit were alive, opinionated, and capable of wreaking havoc. They’re the Frankensteins of pain: created by the body, misunderstood by the world, and often blamed for everything. In Mary Shelley’s story, the monster becomes dangerous only after being rejected. Adhesions follow a similar pattern. When we don’t understand them, we fight them. When we fight them, they respond. And when they respond, things often escalate.